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Drama musical

Fiddler on the Roof (1971): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) movie poster

Fiddler on the Roof is a 1971 drama musical directed by Norman Jewison, starring Ray Lovelock, Paul Michael Glaser and Topol. It runs 3 hours 1 minute and earned $10.4 million worldwide. It won 3 Oscars, including Cinematography and Music (Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score), and 4 awards in all. Critics gave it 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and 67 on Metacritic.

Rotten Tomatoes
81%
worldwide gross
$10.4M
Oscars won
3
Metascore
67
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Fiddler on the Roof (1971) movie poster
Released
Runtime
3h 1m (181 min)
Director
Norman Jewison
Genres
Drama , Romance , Family , Musical
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Fiddler on the Roof About?

The premise of Fiddler on the Roof without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Set in a small Jewish village in Tsarist Russia, this musical drama follows Tevye, a milkman struggling to balance tradition with changing times. As his daughters challenge his arranged marriages, he grapples with his faith and the increasing anti-Jewish sentiment that threatens his community and forces them to confront difficult choices about their future.

Fiddler on the Roof Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • jewish
  • tradition
  • village
  • tradition versus modernity
  • based on stage musical
  • jewish culture
  • fiddler
  • milkman
  • tailor
  • jew
  • ukraine
  • wedding
+38 more
  • judaism
  • immigration
  • forbidden love
  • arranged marriage
  • dance
  • pogrom
  • interfaith marriage
  • breaking the fourth wall
  • father daughter relationship
  • title spoken by character
  • russia
  • russian jew
  • bearded man
  • father disowns daughter
  • dream
  • exile
  • rural setting
  • love
  • happiness
  • reminiscence
  • institutionalized antisemitism
  • russian antisemitism
  • 1900s
  • matchmaker
  • revolutionary
  • rabbi
  • butcher
  • based on stage musical based on book
  • husband wife relationship
  • imperial russia
  • mother daughter relationship
  • marriage proposal
  • talking to god
  • sister sister relationship
  • ghost
  • anti semitism
  • poverty
  • freeze frame
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Cast & crew

Fiddler on the Roof Cast

Ray Lovelock leads the cast, with Paul Michael Glaser and Topol. Directed by Norman Jewison; 10 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Norman Jewison

More films directed by Norman Jewison, best-rated first: Moonstruck, In the Heat of the Night, The Hurricane and The Cincinnati Kid.

Full filmography
Ratings

Fiddler on the Roof Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Fiddler on the Roof 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and 67 on Metacritic.

Plot

Fiddler on the Roof Plot Summary

What happens in Fiddler on the Roof from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The story unfolds around Tevye, a Jewish milkman living in the quaint village of Anatevka during the oppressive reign of Tsarist Russia. Throughout the film, Tevye engages in heartfelt conversations with the audience and the heavens, sharing his thoughts and struggles. Despite his relentless labor, Tevye remains impoverished, much like the rest of the Jewish community in Anatevka, and he grapples with the daunting task of providing dowries for his five daughters.

Full summary

The whole story of Fiddler on the Roof, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Fiddler on the Roof Box Office

Fiddler on the Roof grossed $10.4 million worldwide. $10.4 million came from the US and Canada and $1,127 (0%) from the rest of the world.

1971 box office

Worldwide gross

$10.4M

US & Canada
$10.4M
International
$1.1K
US & Canada 100% Rest of the world 0%
Awards

Fiddler on the Roof Awards & Nominations

Fiddler on the Roof won 3 Oscars, including Cinematography and Music (Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score), and 4 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Oscars 1972, with 3 wins from 8 nominations.

4 wins15 nominations3 ceremonies

  • Academy Awards (Oscars) logo
    Oscars 1972 3 wins · 8 nominations
    • Won Cinematography
    • Won Music (Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score)
    • Won Sound
    • Nominated Actor – Topol
    • Nominated Actor in a Supporting Role – Leonard Frey
    +3 more at the Oscars 1972
  • Golden Globe Awards logo
    Golden Globes 1972 1 win · 4 nominations
    • Won Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Actor) – Topol
    • Nominated Best Director – Norman Jewison
    • Nominated Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
    • Nominated Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama, Comedy or Musical (Supporting Actor) – Paul Mann
  • British Academy Film Awards logo
    BAFTA 1972 3 nominations
    • Nominated Best Cinematography
    • Nominated Best Editing
    • Nominated Best Sound
Videos

Fiddler on the Roof Trailers & Videos

7 videos: 5 trailers and 2 teasers.

All 7 videos
Fiddler on the Roof 1979 re-release TV trailer
  • Trailer Fiddler on the Roof [1971] [Trailer]
  • Trailer Fiddler On The Roof - Trailer
  • Trailer Fiddler on the Roof (1971) Trailer
  • Trailer Fiddler on the Roof (1971) Re-Release Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Fiddler on the Roof?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of the protagonist who is a milkman?

Details

Fiddler on the Roof Also Known As

28 alternative titles, including “Um Violinista no Telhado” and “Skrzypek na dachu”.

Also known as
  • Um Violinista no Telhado
  • Skrzypek na dachu
  • El violinista en el tejado
  • Цигулар на покрива
  • Un violon sur le toit
  • Spillemand på en tagryg
  • Viulunsoittaja katolla
  • O violistis stin stegi
  • Guslač na krovu
  • Hegedűs a háztetőn
  • Yane no ue no vaiorin-hiki
  • Anatevka
+16 more
  • Il violinista sul tetto
  • 屋顶上的小提琴手
  • Damdaki Kemancı
  • 屋顶上的提琴手
  • Ο Βιολιστής στη Στέγη
  • Šumař na střeše
  • כנר על הגג
  • 지붕 위의 바이올린
  • Скрипач на крыше
  • Scripcarul de pe acoperiș
  • Spelman på taket
  • ویولن‌ زن روی بام
  • 屋頂上的提琴手
  • El violinista a la teulada
  • 屋根の上のバイオリン弾き
  • บุษบาหาคู่

Seen Fiddler on the Roof?

FAQ

Fiddler on the Roof FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Fiddler on the Roof, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Fiddler on the Roof?

Fiddler on the Roof runs 3 hours 1 minute (181 minutes).

When was Fiddler on the Roof released?

Fiddler on the Roof was released on November 3, 1971.

Who directed Fiddler on the Roof?

Fiddler on the Roof was directed by Norman Jewison.

More films by Norman Jewison

Who is in the cast of Fiddler on the Roof?

Fiddler on the Roof stars Ray Lovelock, Paul Michael Glaser and Topol, among 10 credited actors.

How much did Fiddler on the Roof make at the box office?

Fiddler on the Roof grossed $10.4 million worldwide ($10.4 million domestic, $1,127 international).

How is Fiddler on the Roof rated?

Fiddler on the Roof has 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, 67 on Metacritic and 77% on TMDB.

What awards did Fiddler on the Roof win?

Fiddler on the Roof won 4 awards from 15 nominations, including Cinematography at the Oscars 1972.

Does Fiddler on the Roof have a post-credit scene?

No. Fiddler on the Roof has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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